Friday, 27 March 2015

In Greek mythology, Plutus or Ploutos was described as the god of wealth. Plutus was a son of Demeter, the goddess of agriculture, who bore him after lying with the Iasion in a thrice-ploughed field. (see Demeter and Iasion)

Demeter and Plutus...

Plutus was blinded by Zeus so he would distribute wealth indiscriminately and without favor towards the good or the virtuous. In some versions, Plutus was described as lame, as he takes his time arriving, and winged, so he leaves faster than he came.

In Greek legend, goddess Gaea (earth) had come out of Chaos, the great void of emptiness within the universe. She gave birth to Uranus (Heaven,Sky), Pontus (Sea) and Ourea (Mountains) without a mate. Uranus, the first ruler of the Universe, the eldest son of Gaea, was also her husband.

Gaea and Uranus.....

Uranus came every night to cover the earth and had intercourse with Gaea. Gaea gave birth to twelve Titans, the females were Mnemosyne, Tethys, Theia, Phoebe, Rhea, and Themis and the males were Oceanus, Hyperion, Coeus, Cronus, Crius, and Iapetus and then to the three Hecatoncheires, who were of great size and might, each of them having a hundred hands and fifty heads. Uranus hated his terrible offspring, and used to hide them away in a secret place of earth (Tartarus) as soon as each was born. Uranus rejoiced in his evil doing. Thereafter Gaea gave birth to the Cyclopes , who are known for having one eye on their foreheads. Though they were strong like gods, Uranus, repeating his previous deed, bound them and cast them into Tartarus, a gloomy place in the Underworld.

Castration of Uranus...

Uranus drew the enmity of Gaea when he imprisoned her children the Hecatonchires and Cyclopes in Tartarus. Gaea created a great stone sickle and gathered together male Titans to persuade them to castrate Uranus. Only Cronus was willing to do the deed, so Gaea gave him the sickle. When Uranus came to have intercourse with Gaea at night, Hyperion, Crius, Coeus and Iapetus were posted at the four corners of the earth. They seized hold of their father and held him fast while Cronus castrated him with a sickle. Oceanus did not participated in the castration of Uranus.

Birth of Aphrodite

After cutting off his father's genitals, Cronusthrow them into the sea behind his back( according to some versions in Cape Drepanum in Achaea). From the drops of blood that fell on Earth were born the Furies, the Gaints and the ash-tree Nymphs called Meliai. His severed genitals on the sea, producing a white foam from which sprang Aphrodite, the goddess of love.

Cronus and Rhea....

Having dethroned their father, the Titans brought up their brethren from Tartarus, and gave the rule to Cronus, who wedded his sister Rhea. However, once in power, Cronus turned into the terrible king his father Uranus had been, re-imprisoning his siblings the Hecatonchires and Cyclopes in Tartarus and swallowing each of his children whole as they were born from his sister-wife Rhea ( fearing to be overthrown by his offsprings). Rhea, however, managed to hide her youngest child Zeus, by tricking Cronus into swallowing a rock wrapped in a blanket instead.

Cronus vomiting

Rheabrought Zeus to a cave in Crete, where he was raised by Amalthea. Upon reaching adulthood, he masqueraded as Cronus' cupbearer. Once Zeus had been established as a servant of Cronus, Metis gave him a mixture of mustard and wine which would cause Cronus to vomit up his swallowed children. After freeing his siblings, Zeus led them in rebellion against the Titans. Began of TITANS WAR....................

Wednesday, 25 March 2015

In Greek mythology, Medea was described as the witch, enchantress or sorceress, the daughter of King Aeetes of Colchis and Eidyia. In some versions, Medea was described as the daughter of goddess Hecate, since Medea was a devotee of the goddess Hecate.

Medea

Medea first saw Jason when he arrived at the king's palace to request the Golden Fleece and Medea fell in love with him. According to some versions, Hera, queen of the gods, persuaded Aphrodite, the goddess of love, or Eros, god of love, to make Medea fall in love with Jason. Medea promised to help him, but only on the condition that if he succeeded, he would take her with him and marry her. Jason agreed. Aeetes promised to give Jason the fleece, but only if he could perform certain tasks. First, Jason had to plough a field with fire-breathing oxen that he had to yoke himself. Medea provided an ointment that protected him and his weapons from the oxen's flames. Then, Jason had to sow the teeth of a dragon in the ploughed field. The teeth sprouted into an army of warriors. Jason was forewarned by Medea, however, and knew to throw a rock into the crowd. Unable to determine where the rock had come from, the soldiers attacked and killed each other. Finally, Aeetes made Jason fight and kill the sleepless dragon that guarded the fleece. Medea put the beast to sleep with her narcotic herbs. Jason then took the fleece and sailed away with Medea, as he had promised.

Medea and Jason

Medea distracted her father, who chased them as they fled, by killing her brother Apsyrtus and throwing pieces of his body into the sea. Aeetes stopped to gather them. In another version, Medea lured Apsyrtus into a trap. Jason killed him, chopped off his fingers and toes, and buried the corpse. In any case, Jason and Medea escaped. During the fight, Atalanta, the only female member of the Argonauts, helping Jason in his quest for the fleece, was seriously wounded, but Medea healed her. (see the quest for golden fleece)

Medea....

When Jason and the Argonauts reach back to Icolcus. Jason, celebrating his return with the Golden Fleece, noted that his father was too aged and infirm to participate in the celebrations. He had seen and been served by Medea's magical powers. He asked Medea to take some years from his life and add them to the life of his father. She did so, but at no such cost to Jason's life. Medea withdrew the blood from Aesons body and infused it with certain herbs, putting it back into his veins, returning vigor to him. Pelias still refused to give up his throne. Medea conspired to have Pelias' own daughters (Peliades) kill him. She told them she could turn an old ram into a young ram by cutting up the old ram and boiling it. During the demonstration, a live, young ram jumped out of the pot. Excited, the girls cut their father into pieces and threw them in a pot, in the expectation that he would emerge rejuvenated. Pelias, of course, did not survive. As he was now an accessory to a terrible crime, Jason was still not made king. Pelias' son Acastus later drove Jason and Medea to Corinth and so reclaimed the kingdom.

Medea conspired Pelias daughter to kill him

Having been expelled from Iolcus, Jason and Medea settled in Corinth, where they lived happily for many years. With Jason she had sons Alcimenes, Thessalus, Tisander, Mermeros and Pheres and daughter Eriopis. But Jason, having grown weary of being married to a foreign sorceress, felt ready for a younger and more representative wife. He found her in Glauce, daughter of King Creon of Corinth. But this sort of humilitation and betrayal was more than Medea could bear. Medea pretended that she had accepted her husband's decision, Medea sent to Glauce, a wedding present, a bridal robe steeped in poison, and when the girl put it on, she caught fire. Creon then, tried to rescued his daughter, but died in the attempt.

Medea ................

In some versions, Medea two sons Mermeros and Pheres helped their mother's revenge and were murdered by Corinthians for their crime. According to some versions, Medea continued her revenge, murdering her two children Tisander and Alcimenes. Only one son Thessalus survived.

Medea kills her children

Afterward, Medea left Corinth and flew to Athens in a golden chariot driven by dragons sent by her grandfather Helios, god of the sun. Medea was received by King Aegeus of Athens, who protected her well, since in vain Hippotes, son of the Corinthian king, claimed from the Athenians the person of Medea on account of her murdering his father. Aegeus married Medea and had a child (Medus) by her, himself ignoring that he already was the father of another child (Theseus).

Medea and the golden chariot driven by dragon

Medea lived peacefully in Athens until the arrival of Theseus. Medea recognized Theseus immediately as Aegeus's son and worried that Theseus would be chosen as heir to Aegeus' kingdom instead of her son Medus. Medea told Aegeus that Theseus had came to kill him and that she would give Theseus poisoned wine. Aegeus unaware that Theseus was his son, agreed. He invited Theseus to a banquet, however, when Theseus was just about to drink his wine, Aegeus recognized the sword and knocked the poisoned wine cup from Theseus's hand. Theseus and Aegeus were filled with happiness and Medea along with her son, Medus, fled from there.

Aegeus recognized Theseus as his own son, Medea fled from there...

According some version, Medea return back to Colchis with Medus. Medea's father Aeetes was the former king of Colchis, and Aeetes's brother Perses ruled after his death, In some versions, Aeetes was murdered by Perses. Perses imprisoned Medus to protect his throne from any potential claimants. To free her son, Medea impersonated a priestess and demanded he be given to her for sacrifice to appease the gods, as a plague was at the time being visited upon Colchis. Perses agreed, and was subsequently killed by the sacrificial blade in the hands of either Medea or Medus. Medus thus came to rule, and when he conquered a neighboring land it was named Media in honor of either Medus or Medea. In other version, Medea and her son Medus fled from Athens on her flying chariot, to the Iranian plateau and lived among the Aryans, who then changed their name to the Medes.the-quest-for-golden-fleeceRelated postsJason : Theseus : The quest for golden fleece : Index

Tuesday, 24 March 2015

In Greek mythology, Jocasta was described as the wife of King Laius of Thebes. Laius married Jocasta, after he kidnapped and raped Chrysippus. Laius and Jocasta was warned by an oracle of Delphi that their child would kill his father and sleep with his mother. According to other version, Laius is warned that he can only save the city if he dies childless. One night, however, Laius became drunk and had sex Jocasta. Accordingly, when Jocasta, bore a son, Laius exposed the baby on Mt. Cithaeron. However, a shepherd found the child and took him to King Polybus and Queen Merope of Corinth, who raised the boy and named him Oedipus.

Jocasta.....

Oedipusgrew up in Corinth under the assumption that he was the son of Polybus and Merope. Oedipus visited oracle of Delphi and upon learning that he was fated to kill his father and marry his mother, he resolved never to return to Corinth.Traveling toward Thebes, Oedipus encountered Laius on the road. After a heated argument regarding right-of-way, Oedipus killed Laius, unknowingly fulfilling the first half of the prophecy.

Oedipus killing Laius...

Oedipuscontinued his journey to Thebes and discovered that the city was being terrorized by the sphinx. Oedipussolved the sphinx's riddle, and the grateful city elected Oedipus as their new king; Oedipus accepted the throne and married Laius' widowed queen Jocasta, fulfilling the second half of the prophecy. Jocasta bore him four children: two girls, Antigone and Ismene, and two boys, Eteocles and Polynices.

Oedipus and the Sphinx

Many years later, when his city was struck by a plague, Oedipus learned that it was divine punishment for his patricide (the act of killing one's own father) and also incest (sexual intercourse between closely related persons). Hearing this news, Jocasta hanged herself. According to some version, Jocasta endured the burden of disgrace and continued to live in Thebes, committing suicide later after her sons (Eteocles and Polynices) kill one another in a fight for the crown.INDEX

In Greek mythology, Poena (or Poine or Poene) was spirit of retribution, vengeance, recompense, punishment and penalty for the crime of murder and manslaughter. Poena was described as the daughter of Gaea and Aether. In some version, Poena was described as the mother of the Erinyes, goddesses concerned with avenging filial crimes. The poena also means to the bloodmoney paid to the victim's family to expiation the crime of murder. In some versions, Poena was referred to many, know as Poenai.

Poena............

Apollo once sent a monstrous she-dragon, Poena, to punish the Argives for the death of his infnat son Linus (see Psamathe2). In some versions, Paena was described as a close resemblance to the child-devouring demon Lamia.

Monday, 23 March 2015

In Greek mythology, Mestra was described as the daughter of Erysichthon, king of Thessaly. The sea god, Poseidon fell in love with Mestra and had love affair with her. Poseidon gave her a gift, the ability to change her shape at will.

Erysichthon selling Mestra

Mestra father cut down trees in a grove, sacred to Demeter. Demeter punished him by placing Aethon, the god of famine, in his stomach while he was sleeping, making him permanently hungry. He sold all his possessions, at last he sold his own daughter Mestra into slavery or to suitors for the bride prices. Mestra was sold many time, but each time she escape by changing her shape in the form of various animals, and return to her father. In some versions, Mestra later married the thief Autolycus, son of Hermesand Chione3. Index

Autolycus1 In Greek mythology, Autolycus was described as the son of Hermes and Chione3. According to one version, Autolycus' real father was Daedalion. Autolycus was the prince of thieves and in one version, Autolycus taught wrestling to Hercules. Autolycus obtained most of the same skills that his father Hermes possesses, such as the art of theft, trickery, and skill with the lyre and gracious song.

Autolycus

Autolycus was husband to Mestra (daughter of Erysichthon), or to Neaera, or to Amphithea. Autolycus became the father of Anticleia, the mother of Odysseus and Aesimus. Polymede, the mother of Jason, was, according to one version, was the daughter of Autolycus. Autolycus had his residence on mount Parnassus, and was renowned among men for his cunning and oaths. Once when he came to Ithaca as a guest, the nurse placed his newly-born grandson Odysseus on his knees, and he gave the child the name Odysseus. Afterwards, when Odysseus was staying with him, he was wounded by a boar during the chase on Parnassus, and it was by the scar of this wound that Odysseus was subsequently recognized by his aged nurse, when he returned from Troy. According to some versions, Autolycus would steal anything he could get his hands on. But Autolycus always escaped detection because he could change the form or color of anything he stole. Autolycus repeatedly stole cattle from Sisyphus’s herd. Sisyphus noticed that cattle were missing and that the herd of Autolycus seemed to be expanding in number, but could not prove any theft. In an attempt to catch Autolycus in the act, Sisyphus secretly marked the inside of the hooves of his cattle. The later discovery of his mark on cows in Autolycus’s herd proved that his neighbor was a thief. In some versions, Sisyphus was not satisfied merely with proving Autolycus a thief and recovering his cattle. Seeking revenge, he seduced Anticleia, the daughter of Autolycus and later the mother ofOdysseus. So in some versions Sisyphus was described as the father of Odysseus, not of Laertes, whom Anticleia afterward married.

Autolycus2

In Greek mythology, Autolycus was described as a Thessalian, son of Deimachus, who together with his brothers Deïleon and Phlogius joined Hercules in his expedition against the Amazons.

Autolycus...........

But after having gone astray the two brothers dwelt at Sinope, until they joined the expedition of the Argonauts. He was subsequently regarded as the founder of Sinope, where he was worshipped as a god and had an oracle. Index

Friday, 20 March 2015

In Greek mythology, Erysichthon or Erisichthon, was the King of Thessaly and son of Triopas. Erysichthon once ordered all trees in the sacred grove of Demeter to be cut down. One huge oak was covered with votive wreaths, a symbol of every prayer Demeter had granted, and so men refused to cut it down. Erysichthon grabbed an axe and cut it down himself, killing a dryad nymph in the process. The nymph's dying words were a curse on Erysichthon.

Erysichthon...........

Demeter responded to the nymph's curse and punished him by entreating Limos, the spirit of unrelenting and insatiable hunger, to place herself in his stomach. Food acted like fuel on a fire, the more he ate, the hungrier he got. Erysichthon sold all his possessions to buy food, but was still hungry.

Erysichthon feasting......

At last he sold his own daughter Mestra into slavery. Mestra was freed from slavery by her former lover Poseidon, who gave her the gift of shape-shifting into any creature at will to escape her bonds. Erysichthon used her shape-shifting ability to sell her numerous times to make money to feed himself, but no amount of food was enough. Eventually, Erysichthon ate himself in hunger.Index

In Greek mythology, Oenomaus, the king of Pisa. was described as the son of Ares, the god of war, and the naiad Harpina (daughter of the river god Phliasian Asopus) or Sterope1 (one of the Pleiades). According to some versions, Sterope1 (one of the Pleiades) was described as Oenomaus wife. In other version, Evarete (the daughter of Acrisius and Eurydice) or Eurythoe (daughter of Danaus) was described as Oenomaus wife. Oenomaus had two daughter Hippodamia and Alcippe, and two son Leucippus and Dysponteus

Oenomaus

Oenomaus was bound to refuse any idea of giving his daughter,Hippodamia, in marriage, either because he himself was in love with her, or because an oracle had predicted his death at the hands of his daughter's husband. Oenomaus pretended to be willing to give his daughter in marriage, and offered as a prize to the suitors the hand of his daughter, and each suitor had to take up Hippodamia on his own chariot and flee as far as the Isthmus of Corinth. Then Oenomaus pursued him and if he overtook him he killed him; and only if the suitor were not overtaken, he was given Hippodamia as wife. Oenomaus, with the arms and horses that Ares gave him, slew many suitors, cutting off their heads and nailing them to his house. And he used to sacrifice to Zeus whenever he engaged in a chariot-race with one of the suitors. As he killed them, the suitors were laid disrespectfully in a common grave.

Hippodamia, Oenomaus and Pelops

Pelops, son of King Tantalus of Lydia, came to ask for Hippodamia's hand in marriage, but when he saw the nailed heads of his predecessors, he regretted having come, for the king's horses were known to be swifter than the wind. Worried about losing, Pelops went to the seaside and invoked Poseidon, his former lover.Reminding Poseidon of their love, he asked Poseidon for help. Smiling, Poseidon caused a chariot drawn by winged horses to appear. Still unsure of himself, Pelops thought that this four-horse race was impossible to win by fair means, he sought the confidence of the Oenomaus's charioteer Myrtilus, to whom he promised half of the kingdom if he should help him to win the race. According to some versions, when Pelops appeared, Hippodamia fell immediately in love with him, and that it was she who persuaded Myrtilus to help this suitor. In any case, Myrtilus, son of Hermes, expected to rule over half of the kingdom. In some versions, Myrtilus was himself in love with Hippodamia and agreed to help Pelops to win the race for the first night in bed with Hippodamia. The night before the race, while Myrtilus was putting Oenomaus's chariot together, he replaced the bronze linchpins attaching the wheels to the chariot axle with fake ones made of beeswax.

The race began, and went on for a long time. But just as Oenomaus was catching up to Pelops and readying to kill him, the wheels flew off and the chariot broke apart. Myrtilus survived, but Oenomaus was dragged to death by his horses. In some version, Oenomaus killed by Pelops. When Myrtilus tried to claim his reward and have sex with Hippodamia, Pelops killed Myrtilus by throwing him off a cliff into the sea. As Myrtilus died, he cursed Pelops. This curse would haunt future generations of Pelops' family, including Atreus, Thyestes, Agamemnon, Aegisthus, Menelaus, Orestes and Chrysippus.INDEX

Thursday, 19 March 2015

Hippodamia1
In Greek mythology, Hippodamia was described as the daughter of King Oenomaus of Pisa and Evarete of Argos (the daughter of Acrisius and Eurydice) or Eurythoe (daughter of Danaus).

Hippodamia................

Hippodamia's father, King Oenomaus, fearful of a prophecy that claimed he would be killed by his son-in-law or had an incestuous love for his daughter, had killed thirteen or eighteen suitors of Hippodamia after defeating them in a chariot race and affixed their heads to the wooden columns of his palace.Pelops, son of King Tantalus of Lydia, came to ask for Hippodamia's hand in marriage and prepared to race Oenomaus. Worried about losing, Pelops went to the seaside and invoked Poseidon, his former lover.Reminding Poseidon of their love, he asked Poseidon for help. Smiling, Poseidon caused a chariot drawn by winged horses to appear. Still unsure of himself, Pelops or Hippodamia convinced Oenomaus's charioteer, Myrtilus, a son of Hermes, to help him win. Myrtilus was convinced by Pelops or Hippodamia promising him half of Oenomaus' kingdom and the first night in bed with Hippodamia.

Hippodamia, Pelops and Myrilus

The night before the race, while Myrtilus was putting Oenomaus's chariot together, he replaced the bronze linchpins attaching the wheels to the chariot axle with fake ones made of beeswax. The race began, and went on for a long time. But just as Oenomaus was catching up to Pelops and readying to kill him, the wheels flew off and the chariot broke apart. Myrtilus survived, but Oenomaus was dragged to death by his horses. When Myrtilus tried to claim his reward and have sex with Hippodamia, Pelops killed Myrtilus by throwing him off a cliff into the sea.
Hippodamia married Pelops, and their daughters were Astydameia, Nicippe, Lysidice, Mytilene, and Eurydice, and their sons were Atreus, Thyestes, Pittheus, Alcathous, Troezen, Hippalcimus, Copreus, Dias, and Hippasus.
By nymph Axioche, Pelops had a son Chrysippus and Pelops loved Chrysippus best of all his sons.In some versions, when Chrysippus was kidnapped by king Laius of Thebes, Hippodameia at night visited Laius and Chrysippus, when they were asleep, and taking the sword of the Theban, she wounded Chrysippus and fixed the sword in his body, so that Laius would be suspected. However, Chrysippus acknowledged the truth before dying and Pelops banished his wife. Later Hippodamia committed suicide.
In other versions, Chryssipus was killed out of jealousy by Atreus and Thyestes, his half-brothers, who cast him into a well. They had been sent by their mother, Hippodamia, who feared Chrysippus would inherit Pelops's throne instead of her sons. Atreus and Thyestes, together with their mother, were banished by Pelops and took refuge in Mycenae. There Hippodamia hung herself.Posts relatedChryssipus : PelopsHippodamia 2
In Greek mythology, Hippodamia was described as the daughter of Atrax or Butes, and was the bride of King Pirithous of the Lapiths. At the wedding of Hippodamia and Pirithous, the Centaurs had been invited.

Centaurs attempted to abduct and rape..............Hippodamia

Unused to wine, Centaurs wild nature came to the fore. When bride was presented to greet the guests, Centaur Eurytion leapt up and attempted to rape or abduct her. All the other centaurs attempted to rape or abduct female guests in wedding feast. Pirithous and his friend Theseus, led the Lapiths to victory over the Centaurs in the battle known as the Centauromachy. With Pirithous, she mothered Polypoetes, but died shortly after her son's birth.Post related
: Atreus : Pirithous : Theseus

Wednesday, 18 March 2015

In Greek mythology, Chrysippus was described as the son of Pelops, the king of Pisa and the nymph Axioche. When king Laius of Thebes was still young, his cousins, Amphion and Zethus usurped the throne of Thebes. With the help of loyal subjects Laius fled Thebes to save his life, and sought refuge in Pisa. Laius was welcomed by Pelops, the king of Pisa. When Laius reached manhood, Pelops entrusted his son, Chrysippus, to him so that he would teach the boy the charioteer's art. The king loved Chrysippus best of all his sons, and wanted him well trained in the arts of war. Laius fell hopelessly in love with the beautiful youth, Chrysippus.

abduction of Chrysippus

Laius abducted and raped Chrysippus, and carried him off to Thebes while teaching him how to drive a chariot. By then Amphion and Zethus were dead and Laius became king of Thebes upon his return. In other version, during the Nemean games Chrysippus was kidnapped and raped by Laius. For his crime Laius, his city, and his family were later punished by the gods. In some versions,Chryssipus killed himself with his sword out of shame. In other version, Chryssipus was killed out of jealousy by Atreus and Thyestes, his half-brothers, who cast him into a well. They had been sent by their mother, Hippodamia, who feared Chrysippus would inherit Pelops's throne instead of her sons. Atreus and Thyestes, together with their mother, were banished by Pelops and took refuge in Mycenae. There Hippodamia hung herself. In Another version has Hippodamia committing the deed herself, on behalf of her sons Atreus and Thyestes. She waited until Laius and Chrysippus were asleep together, and then used the knife of Laius to slay Chrysippus. Chrysippus, however, did not die at once, and was able to tell Pelops that the real murderer was his stepmother.The death of Chryssippus is sometimes seen as springing from the curse that Myrtilus placed on Pelops for his betrayal.Index

Tuesday, 17 March 2015

In Greek mythology, Peleus was described as the son of Aeacus, king of Aegina and Endeis. Peleus and his brother Telamon killed their step-brother Phocus(son of Aeacus and nereid Psamathe). It was described that Endeis was jealous of her stepson Phocus and induced her sons Peleus and Telamon to murder the boy. In some versions, it was described that Telamon and Peleus were jealous of Phocus because he excelled at athletic sports. In any case they drew lots and Telamon was chosen to murder Phocus, his half brother. This was done in a ruse at the pentathlon which they convinced Phocus to participate in. In the sport, Telamon threw a discus under the pretense of participating in the competition. The projectile hit its target, accidentally killing Phocus. Both Telamon and Peleus hid the body of Phocus, but it was soon discovered. For this Aeacus exiled them both from Aegina.

Peleus

Peleus went to Phthia to be purified by his uncle King Eurytion, whose daughter Antigone he married, receiving a third of Eurytion’s kingdom. Later during the Calydonian boar hunt Peleus accidentally killed his father-in-law, Eurytion.

Calydonian boar hunt....................

Peleus then went to Iolcos to be purified by King Acastus. In the funeral games that Acastus celebrated in honor of his father(Pelias:-the king who sent Jason after the golden fleece), Atalanta wrestled with Peleus and won over him. Acastus's wife Astydamia or Hippolyte fell in love with Peleus, and as he refused her, she sent a message to Peleus' wife Antigone telling her that Peleus was about to marry Acastus' daughter Sterope. On learning this, Antigone hung herself up. In addition, Astydamia told her husband that Peleus had attempted to seduce her. Acastus was reluctant to kill the man he had purified, but took him instead to hunt on Mount Pelion, and when Peleus had fallen asleep, he deserted him, hiding his sword. Having woke up unarmed, Peleus was caught by the Centaurs, who would have killed him. But the centaur Chiron or Hermes returned Peleus' sword with magical powers and Peleus managed to escape. According some versions, by his wife Antigone, Peleus became father of Polydora. In rare version (or in error), after the death of Peleus first wife, Antigone, Peleus married Polydora, a granddaughter of Perseus (slayer of Medusa) and Andromeda. In some versions, later Peleus with Jason and the Dioscuri (Castor and Pollux), attacked and sacked Iolcus, capturing Queen Astydamia, who had plotted against him. Peleus then, in an attempt to get even, divided her limb from limb, leading his army through her into the city. According to Greek Legend, Zeus and Poseidon had been once rivals for the hand of Thetis (the goddess of water) , but because Themis (the goddess justice), or Prometheus prophesied that the son born of Thetis would be stronger than his father, they both withdrew. In order to ensure a mortal father for her eventual offspring, Zeus and Poseidon made arrangements for her to marry a human, Peleus. In other version, Thetis refused to have sex with Zeus because she had been brought up by Hera. So Zeus wishing to punish her, married her to a mortal, his own grandson Peleus.

Peleus and Thetis.....................

Thetis unwilling to wed a mortal, resisted Peleus' advance by changing herself into various shapes. Peleus was able to win Thetis with the aid of Proteus or the centaur Chiron , told Peleus how to overcome Thetis' ability to change her form.

Marriage of Peleus and Thetis

The wedding of Thetis and Peleus was celebrated on Mt Pelion outside the cave of Chiron and attended by the deities. At the marriage celebration, Apollo played the lyre and Muses sang. At the wedding Chiron gave Peleus a spear that had been polished by goddess Athene and had a blade forged by Hephaestus. Poseidon gave him the immortal horses Balius and Xanthus.Eris, goddess of discord, had not been invited. Eris threw a golden apple into the midst of the goddesses that was to be awarded only "to the fairest".

Three goddesses claimed the apple Hera, Athena and Aphrodite. They asked Zeus to judge which of them was fairest , but knowing that choosing any of them would bring him the hatred of the other two, Zeus did not want to take part in the decision. He thus appointed Paris, the prince of Troy, to select the most beautiful. Rejecting bribes of kingly power from Hera and military might from Athena, he chose Aphrodite and accepted her bribe to help him win the most beautiful woman alive. His seduction of Helen (the wife of Menelaus, king of Sparta) and refusal to return her was the cause of the Trojan War. The marriage of Peleus and Thetis produced seven sons, six of whom died in infancy. The only surviving son was Achilles. According to some versions, Peleus stymied Thetis's attempt to make Achilles immortal by appearing at the wrong moment and she deserted him.

Thetis dipped Achilles in the water of the river Styx

Thetis wished to make her son Achilles immortal, and for that purpose she dipped him in the waters of the river Styx, by which he became invulnerable, except for the part of his heel by which she held him. In other version, Thetis without the knowledge of Peleus, used to put the baby in the fire by night in order to destroy the mortal element which Achilles had inherited from Peleus, while anointing him with ambrosia during the day. But when Peleus saw the child writhing on the fire, he cried out, thus preventing Thetis from accomplishing her purpose. Then she threw the screaming child to the ground, and leaving both husband and son and never returned again to Phthia, though she always kept an eye on her offspring. Peleus gave Achilles to the centaur Chiron, to raise on Mt. Pelion.Index

Psamathe1 In Greek mythology, Psamathe was described as the goddess of (beach) sand, one of Naieid nymph, daughter of Nereus and Doris. Psamathe was the wife of Proteus, the old seal-herder of Poseidon. She bore him, Theoclymenus, a mortal son and Eidothea, a sea-nymph daughter.

Psamathe

Aeacus, the king of island Aegina, fell in love with Psamathe and he tried to seduce her on the beach. Psamathe tried to escape his grasp by transforming herself into a seal, but he refused to give up. So she let him had intercourse with her and gave birth to Phocus. Phocus was the favorite of his father, which the jealousy of his half-brothers Peleus and Telamon. The pair conspired to murder him and were exiled from the island. In other version Phocus was killed accidentally by Peleus and Telamon. Psamathe was aggrieved and sent a giant wolf to harass the flocks of Peleus. However, through the advise of Thetis, Peleus wife and the sister of Psamathe, he managed to assuage the goddess with sacrifices. Psamathe2 In Greek mythology, Psamathe was described as the daughter of Crotopus, king of Argos. Apollo, the god of music, fell in love with Psamathe, the beautiful princess of Argos. Apollo secretly came into Psamathe bed chamber and had intercourse with her. She became the mother of Linus by Apollo. Fearing her father she gave Linus to shepherds to be raised.

Psamathe

Later Psamathe was killed by her father, who would not believe that she had sexual intercourse with a god rather than a mortal. Apollo avenged Psamathe murder by sending a child-killing plague to Argos, which would not cease until the Argives (people of Argos), at the god's command, paid honors to Psamathe and Linus. In other version, the baby Linus was torn apart by the king's sheepdogs upon being exposed and Apollo sent Poene, the personification of punishment, upon the city. Poene would steal children from their mothers until Coroebus killed her. Index